Text to BPMN with AI
Type or say how a process works. Wavelength builds an editable process flow, then exports it as a BPMN 2.0 XML file (.bpmn). The file has start and end events, tasks, exclusive gateways, sequence flows with their labels, and one lane for each owner. It also holds the diagram layout, so the process opens laid out, left to right, in BPMN tools such as bpmn.io and Camunda Modeler.
Wavelength is not a full BPMN modeler. It gets you from words to a clean first model fast. You add timers, messages, and other detail in your BPMN tool.
The demo needs no account. The free plan needs no card.
How your words become BPMN
| What you say | Shape in Wavelength | Element in the .bpmn file |
|---|---|---|
| How the process starts | Start | Start event |
| An action | Step | Task |
| "If" or "only when" | Decision | Exclusive gateway |
| A system does the work | System | Service task |
| A screen the user sees | Screen | User task |
| A database or a spreadsheet | Data store | Task |
| Who does the work | Actor or owner | Lane, when the flow has two or more owners |
| "Then", "sends to" | Link with a label | Sequence flow with a name |
| How the process ends | End | End event |
When the flow has lanes, the file puts them in one pool named after the flow. A step marked as a warning or an error keeps its color in tools that read the bpmn.io color extension.
How it works
- Describe the process. Type it, paste it, or hold the mic and say it.
- Check the flow. Confirm or delete each dashed amber line. Those are links the AI inferred.
- Set the owners. Give each step an owner. Each owner becomes a lane.
- Check the lanes. Switch the layout to swimlanes to see the lanes before you export.
- Export. Open Export and pick BPMN 2.0 (.bpmn). Open the file in your BPMN tool and add the detail.
A worked example: a leave request
The text in:
A flow built from this text exports a .bpmn file with three lanes: Employee, Manager, and HR. The file has these elements:
- Start event: Leave request submitted.
- Tasks: Manager review, HR review, Send rejection notice, Send confirmation.
- Service task: Workday updates leave balance.
- Exclusive gateways: Approved? and Longer than ten days?
- End events: Request rejected, Leave confirmed.
Each gateway branch is a sequence flow with its label, such as "Yes" or "No". A gateway in the file looks like this:
What the export does not include
- Only exclusive gateways. There are no parallel, inclusive, or event based gateways.
- No timer, message, or other intermediate events.
- No message flows between pools, and no subprocesses.
- A data store becomes a plain task, not a data store reference.
- Wavelength does not import .bpmn files. It imports Visio (.vsdx), draw.io, and Mermaid files.
If the target is an automation tool, not a modeler, export an n8n workflow or a Make scenario blueprint instead.
Who uses text to BPMN
Business analysts use it to turn interview notes into a first model before a review. Process owners use it to check a process with the team before an analyst formalizes it. Consultants use it to hand the client a file that opens in the client's own BPMN tool.
By hand or with Wavelength
| Task | By hand | With Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Turn notes into a model | You read the notes and place each element in the modeler. | Wavelength builds the flow from the text. |
| Pick element types | You choose task, gateway, or event for each item. | Each shape maps to a BPMN element on export. |
| Build the lanes | You draw a pool and a lane for each role. | Each owner becomes a lane. |
| Lay out the model | You drag the elements into a readable order. | The file holds a left to right layout. |
| Change the process | You edit the model by hand. | Say the change, then export again. |
Related
- BPMN diagram examples
- Wavelength for BPMN 2.0
- AI swimlane diagram generator
- Wavelength for business analysts
- Transcript to process map
Common questions
Can AI turn text into a BPMN diagram?
Yes. Wavelength builds a process flow from your text or your voice, then exports it as a BPMN 2.0 XML file with events, tasks, gateways, sequence flows, and lanes.
Which BPMN elements does the export use?
Start events, end events, tasks, service tasks, user tasks, exclusive gateways, sequence flows with names, and lanes in one pool when the flow has two or more owners.
Does the file open in Camunda Modeler and bpmn.io?
The file is BPMN 2.0 XML with the diagram layout included, so BPMN tools such as bpmn.io and Camunda Modeler open it laid out.
Can I import a .bpmn file into Wavelength?
No. Wavelength exports BPMN but does not import it. It imports Visio (.vsdx), draw.io, and Mermaid files.
Which plans include BPMN export?
Every plan, including Free. The Free plan saves up to 5 flows and needs no card.
Every new account starts with 7 days of Pro. No card needed.